Rag reciprocating mechanism for shoeshining machines



5, 1952 c. E. DANIELSON 2,605,485

I RAG RECIPROCATING MECHANISM FOR SHOESHINING MACHiNES Filed April 16, 1948 INVENTOR- M 61911 E198): ielson TTYS Patented Aug. 5, 1952 orrics RAG RECIPROCATING MECHANISM FOR dS'I-IOES'HINING MACHINES- Carl E. Danielson, North Sacramento, Calif. I Application April 16, 1948, Serial No. 21,525

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to a power actuated shoe shining machine wherein a customer, standing in front of the machine, obtains a shoe shine by engaging each shoe with an accessible polishing or shining mechanism.

The present invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, in such a machine, anovel shoe polishing or shining mechanism; such mechanism being employed after the application of shoe polish to the shoes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishing or shining mechanism which comprises a pair of driven, synchronized cranks mounted in side by side relation, and an elongated shoe shining rag connected between said cranks for reciprocation thereby; there being a pedestal to support a shoe over which the rag extends for reciprocation in shoe shining relation. In this manner close simulation of hand manipulation or reciprocation of the shoe shining rag is accomplished.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishing or shining mechanism, as in the preceding paragraph, in which the cranks are driven in opposite directions, and synchronized so that beyond dead-center positions one crank is rising while the other lowers, and vice versa, thus effectively reciprocating the shoe shining rag.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical, convenient, and reliable shoe polishing or shining mechanism, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the novel shoe polishing or shining mechanism which comprises the essence of the present invention; this embodiment of the invention being gear driven.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism showing an embodiment of the invention incorporating a chain drive.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and at present to Fig. 1, the shoe polishing or shining mechanism is mounted in connection with a rigid frame, indicated generally at I, which frame includes a horizontal transverse beam 2.

A pair of cranks 3 are disposed in horizontally alined, side by side relation in front of the transverse beam 2; such cranks having their shafts 4 Rearwardly of the beam 2 the shafts 4 of the I cranks 3 are each fitted with a gear 5; said gears being of like diameter and running in mesh, at adjacent sides, as at 6, whereby rotation of the cranks 3 is synchronized. The gears 5 are driven n any suitable manner;v the drive means not being shown.

An elongated flexible strap 7, whose length is much greater than the distance between the crank pins 8 of the cranks 3, is connected between said pins by end loops 9 on said strap.

The flexible strap 1 is maintained in generally inverted U-shape by a relatively light-weight tension spring in which connects between said strap, centrally of its ends, and an elevated point on a fixed member H rigid with respect to the frame i.

The flexible strap 1 is provided, on its inner face, with an elongated shoe shining rag I2, which may be initially separate and stitched to the strap 1, or may be formed integral with the latter.

A shoe supporting pedestal I3 is mounted in rigid relation to the frame I and extends through the upper portion or loop of the flexible strap '1 whereby a shoe [4 on said pedestal may be engaged from below with the shoe shining rag l2, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1.

The gears 5 mesh in such relation that the cranks 3, which rotate in opposite directions, are I synchronized, so that beyond dead-center positions one crank raises while the other lowers, and vice versa, resulting in effective reciprocation of the flexible strap 1 and shoe shining rag [2 over the pedestal supported shoe [4. Thus, the shoe shining rag i2 is reciprocated in a manner which closely resembles hand reciprocation of the rag and produces a shoe shine .of excellent quality. In practice, the above described mechanism is of course mounted within a suitable cabinet (not shown), wherein the pedestal l3 and shoe engaging portions of the straps 1 and rag [2 are accessible from the front; the remainder of the mechanism. however, being shielded against access.

In Fig. 2 the mechanism comprises substantially the same assembly as in Fig. 1, except as to the synchronized drive for the cranks; the latter here being indicated at l5. In this embodiment, each crank is fitted with a sprocket l6, and said sprockets are driven in over and under relationship, in order to obtain the reverse drive, by an endless chain I! which also traverses a third sprocket l8. Any one of the described sprockets 7 3 may be the drive sprocket; the driving means not being shown. In this embodiment the cranks l5, rotating in opposit directions, are disposed in the same relationship as in Fig. 1, to the end that beyond dead-center positions one crank raises while the other falls, and vice versa,so as able from the mechanism for cleaning: or'replacement.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been producedzsucha device I l as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do notform a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus defined the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

V In a shoe polishingmachine, an elongated shoe- Of course, the flexiblepolishing strip, mounting means for the strip including a flexible arched band having dependent end portions, a pair of horizontally spaced shafts below the strip parallel to the transverse plane of the strip, cranks on the shafts set 180 degrees apart whensaid cranks are disposed vertically and to which the ends of the band are connected, and means to rotate the shafts in oppositedirections and at the same speed, the cranks being of equal length.

CARL E. DANIELSON.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,021,814 Amadeo Apr. 2, 1912 1,419,018 Chambers June 6, 1922 1,430,786 Blunt Oct. 3, 1922 1,539,013 Lightsey May 26, 1925 1,743,789 Mertens Jan. 14, 1930- 1,858,922 Fitzgerald May 17, 1932 1,912,016 Sittner May 30, 1933 2,181,676 Wheeler Nov. 28, 1939 2,427,768 Edington Sept. 23, 1947 2,498,947

Fielding -1 Feb. 28, 1950 p 

